Tie-tamping machine



April 29. 1924..

J. J. TIERNEY. TIE TAMPING MACHINE Filed Dec. 2, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 1TIE TAMPNG MACHINE- Filed Dec. 2, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 VJ [/v V/v TOR oJOHN u. 775B NEY /YTTORNEYIS April 29, 1924. 1,491,934

J. J. Tir-:RNEY

TIE TAMPING MACHINE Filed Dec. 2, 1922 I5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR JOHNQT WERNEY 5f @eL/Q, 63M@ F77' www? ms Patented Apr. 29, i924.

JOHN J. TERNEY, 0F VSLEEY EYEQMINNESOVTA, ASSGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO* DES-MOND P. TIERNEY, OF SLEEPY EYE, MNNESOT'A. i i

TIE-TLPING MACHINE.

` Application filed December V2, 1922i Serial No. 664,515.

To all whom t 'may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN J. TmRNEi, a citizen of the United States,resident of Sleepy Eye, county of Brown, and State of Minnesota, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Tie-Tamping Machines, ofwhich theV following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to machines designed for use intamping or packing ballast under the ties of a railroad track.

In railroad construction, the ties to which the rails are spiked areembedded in ballast such as crushed rock, gravel or otherV suit ablematerial, which is packed firmly under and against the ties to hold themsecurely in the proper position so that each tie will carry its portionof the load and provide a uniform support for the rails throughout theirentire length. Owing to the severe use to which a railroad track issubjected unusual care is required in tamping or packing the ballastmaterial under the ties so that f they will be uniformly and firmlypacked to prevent them from becoming loosened and thus ineffective, dueto the Weight and vibration of heavily laden trains moving rapidlythereover. It is also frequently necessary to repack the ballast aroundthe ties of an old track for the purpose of straightening and levelingthe track. Here` tofore, it has been customary to tamp the ballast byhand tampers or by the use of mechanical devices either carried by theoperator or mounted on heavy trucks, but this method has not proven verysatisfactory as some ties have been found to be packed more firmly thanothers, thereby causing the rails to settle in places and thus causingthe track to become rough and unsafe for use.

The novel tamping machine shown in this invention is mounted upon awheeled frame of light weight, and is particularly adapted to be used bysection crews in repairing and maintaining tracks that are in service,such as repacking the ballast under ties that have become loosened andalso to tamp the ballast under new ties that are substituted for thosedeteriorated or worn. lt may be operated either by hand or power asdesired. When oWer-driven, the power is preferably: transmitted by aflexible belt from the usual'railway motor car connected tothe tampingmachine by the usual draw-bar connection.

Due to its light Weight the machine may be s fully appear from thefollowing detailed description and the accompanying drawings and willbe| pointed out yin the annexed claims.

ln the accompanying drawing there has been disclosed a structuredesigned to carry out the objects of the invention, but it is to beunderstood that the invention is not conlined to the exact featuresshown, as various changes may be made within the scope of the claimswhich follow.

ln the drawings:

Figure l is a sectional View in side elevation, showing' the tampingblades lowered and in position to tampthe ballast under the tie. Y

Figure 2 is a similar view, but showing the tamping blades and frameraised to clear the ties for traveling on the railroad.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,showing the tamping blades in a raised position.

ln the selected embodiment of the invention here shown, there isillustrated a tie-v tamping machine mounted upon supporting means, suchas a wheeled frame or truck comprising a frame 6, axles 7 and the usualcarrying wheels 8, adapted to rest and travel upon the usual rails 5 ofa railroad track. Couplings 9, of usual construction, are preferablyprovided at each end of the frame 6, to al'ord means whereby the tampingmachine may be coupled to a railway motor car, well known to theart, forthe purpose of moving the machine along the railroad track. A platform10 is preferably provided at one end of the machine for an operator tostand on to adjust the tamping blades while the machine is in operation.

A plurality of suitable supporting frames 11, carrying the tamping toolsand operating mechanism, are adjustably mounted upon the truck frame',preferably by means of suitable bell-cranks l2 and lift linksl. Thesebell cranks, preferably four in num* (it)y llO the side beams of theframe 6, 'one of said l Vshafts being adapted to pass through and engageelongated openin s orslots`15, provided in thev vertical si e members'of the frames 11. A' similar shaft 14a is. rigidly mounted in theV'frame 6 and in like manner adapted to engage similar slots:V in theother vertical side members of the frames 11.

The functionof'the slots 15 is to. guideftheV framesll in their up anddown movement and also to limit their movement. Each one of the fourlift vlinks13 has its upper end pivotally connected to one arm of one ofthe fourbell cranks 12, thelower ends of these links being pivotallyconnected Vrespectively to one ofthe four ends of a pair of shafts 16,which are mounted to oscillate in suitable bearings 17 provided in thelower downwardly extending arms 18 which are preferably integral withthe lower portions of the frames 11. The corresponding arms of the bellcranks 12, Von each side of the truck fra1ne,'are pivotally connectedtogether by suitable connecting rods 19, shown in Figures 1 and 2. Ahand lever20 is rigidly mounted upon the shaft 14,` adjacent theplatform 10 and has a latch 21 of usual construction adapted to engagela notched quadrant 22 secured to `one of the side beams of the truckframe 6. The function of this levery is .to raise and lower thesupportingiframes 11 by means'of the bell-cranks 12 and lift links'13,hereinbefore described.

A plurality oftamping bars 23, having suitable tamping blades or tools24 rigidly secured thereto, vare slidablymounted to reciprocate insuitable bearings 25 provided 4in brackets or yokes 26 fiXedly mountedupon the oscillatory shafts 16, as'shown in Figure 1. Pivot blocks'27are secured to the tamping bars 23, preferably between the bearings25 ofthe yokes 26, and have pivot pins 28 rigidly 'mounted thereinandjadapted to be respectivelyengaged by elongated apertures 29 providedin forked armsV 31, eachlloosely mounted upon a portion of one of a pairof shafts 32 secured to the sup-V porting frames 11. Arms 33 which arevpreferably kintegral with the forked arms 31 and project inwardlytherefrom, have their-ends pivotally connected by pins 34 to the lowerendsof suitable connecting rods 35. The

'upper ends of the connecting rods are provided with capped bearings 36mounted upon suitable eccentrics 37 secured! to a drive shaftr 38rotatably mounted in capped bearingsV 39 in the supporting frames 1,1.It is preferred to employ squarebar iron in the constructionofvthe'tamping bars to prevent the, bars from turning aXially'vin. thebearings k25 which bearings' are correspondingly squared to receive theybars, vthereby always keeping the bottom or tamping edge of each blade24 on substantially a horizontal line, j

Thus, upon rotation of the drive shaft 38 the connectingrods 35. will bereciprocated and thearms 33and 31 will similarly actuate the pivot'blocks 27 and thereby cause the tamping bars 23 to move up and down inrapid succession and thus firmly pack the ballast under the ties. Meansare also `provided whereby the tamping bars and blades maybe readilyand'` quicklyv adjustedto conform to the width ofv eachy tie. A handlever 40 having a' latch 41 (see Figure 2) is pivotally mounted upon yapin 42 rigidly mounted in a bracket .43

which is secured to one, of the supporting frames 11 by any suitablemeans such as bolts 44. A notched quadrant 45 is supported by thebracket 43 and is adapted to be engaged by the latch 41 of the lever 40.

An armv 46, preferably integral with theV lower end of the hand lever40, is pivotally. connected to one end .of a connecting rod 47 The otherend of the connecting lrod'is similarly" connected to an arm l48yrigidly mounted upon the shaft 16 beneathY the hand lever. A similararm 49,` preferably integral with the arm 48, is ypivotally connectedto' one end of a connecting rod 51 while theV otherend of thisconnecting rod is connected to a depending arm 52 secured to the othershaft 16. Movement of the hand lever 40 may therefore simultaneously`oscillate the two shafts 16 in opposite directions inl their bearings17. The tamping bar-supporting yokes 26, being rigidly mounted uponthese shafts, will correspondingly oscillate the tamping bars andblades, as

shown by dotted lines Vin Figure 2. A' drivey pulley 53, rigidly mountedupon the drive shaft 38, and a iieXible belt 54 are provided for thetransmission .of power to the-tamping-machine from the usual railwaymotor to vary the timed relation of the downward working travel of thetools, such, forexample, asl to cause the tamping yblades to operateprogressively'along both sides of the tie.

40. They may also be elevated or depressed by means of the hand lever 20while themac `The tamping blades maybe adjusted to` and from the tie byan operator standingV on the platform by means of the hand lever.

chine is in operation, thus permitting the required adjustments toenable the device to be universally used for packing ballast under theties of any railroad.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A tie-tamping machine including a supporting means, a plurality oftamping tools mounted to reciprocate on the supporting means and adaptedto tamp adjacent the sides of ties, a member rotatably borne by saidsupporting means, eccentric means on said rotatable member, and drivingconnection between said tools and said eccentric means whereby, uponrotation of said member, the tools are reciprocated.

2.y A tie-tamping machine including a supporting means, a plurality oftamping tools mounted on the supporting means to reciprocate in opposedpairs and adapted to tamp opposite sides of ties, a drive-shaftrotatably borne by said supporting means, eccentrics on saiddrive-shaft, a driving connection between each tool and an eccentricwhereby,

upon rotation of the drive shaft, the tools areV reciprocated.

3. A tie-tamping machine including a sup porting means, a plurality oftamping tools mounted on the supporting means to recip rocate in opposedpairs and adapted to tamp opposite sides of ties, a member rotatablyborne by said supporting means, eccentric means on said rotatablemember, and driving connection between said tools and said eccentricmeans whereby, upon rotation of said member, the tools are reciprocated,said eccentric means being arranged to vary thek timled relation of theworking travel of the too s.

A. A tie-tamping machine including a supporting means, a plurality ofbearings pivotally mounted upon the supporting means in opposed pairs, atampingtool reciprocably mounted in each bearing and` adapted to tamp onone side of a tie, a rotatable member mounted upon the supportingymeans, eccentric means onsaid member, ardrivirig connection between eachtool and said eccentric means whereby, upon member rotation, each toolis reciprocated, and means to alter said pivoted bearings to change thetainping position of each tool.

5. A tie-tamping machine including a supporting means, a plurality ofbearings pivotally mounted upon the supporting means, in opposed pairs,a tamping tool reciprocably mounted in each bearing and adapted to tampon one side of a tie, a rotatable member mounted upon the supportingmeans, eccentric means on said member, a driving connection between eachtool and said eccentric means whereby, upon member rotation, each toolis reciprocated, means to alter said pivotal bearings to change thetamping position of each tool, and means connecting to gether opposedpairs of bearings for simultaneous pivotal movement whereby the bearingof each pair is simultaneously altered.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day ofNovember 1922.

JOI-IN J. TIERNEY.

